Turning Bollards

[ron david]

I have turned over a 100 of these over the years for the town I live in. they go along the waterfront, 8 1/2"Dia x 42" with a 2 1/2" hole x 12" deep in the bottom
these are the blanks from the sawmill
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/DAhUse.jpg

with all the corners knocked off
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/924/kOFV3f.jpg

turned but just have to clean off the spigot on top
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/922/BKT1a2.jpg

done 1 1/2 hrs each
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/mM6Gss.jpg
going to the works yard. you can see the hole in the bottom
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/Z4y68c.jpg

there is always a little variety
ron

[Brian Kent]

Beautiful, Ron. Do they keep a natural finish or are they painted?

[ron david]

they put that ugly orang tinted cetol marine varnish on them
ron

[John K Jordan]

Fantastic! And that is the vehicle I need!

What are your tools of choice for turning large spindles?

JKJ

[Mark Greenbaum]

Fantastic work, there, Ron. What type of wood? Cypress? Do they sit on a steel post anchored into concrete alond the pier? Please show a photo of the installed product, and of course the rest of the panel van (Willys, Chevy, Dodge?). Thanks for posting.

[Adam Petersen]

Cool project. What do these do exactly? Sorry, I'm severely landlocked and have never heard of a bollard. Cool looking store too! Handsome shop-dog!

[Brian Kent]

They can be used for anchoring ships to a dock, or nowdays for traffic control and safety.

[David Delo]

2 1/2" x 12" deep is a pretty good size hole. Did you drill them on the lathe or some other method? I've done some holes that deep for a couple vases but only 1 3/4" D with the Carter Strongbore system. If I was making a bunch of them, always thought it might be quicker or easier to come up with a fixture to hold them vertically on a radial drill press.

[ron david]

Cool project. What do these do exactly? Sorry, I'm severely landlocked and have never heard of a bollard. Cool looking store too! Handsome shop-dog!
thse are what the bollards look like installed and also a sign that I carved for them
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/924/nVIn1e.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/922/QvUMKI.jpg
ron

[ron david]

Fantastic! And that is the vehicle I need!

What are your tools of choice for turning large spindles?

JKJ
i just usually use a big bowl gouge to even it up, then on these I use an 1 1/2" shew. there are a lot of nasty knots in these things too
ron

[ron david]

Fantastic work, there, Ron. What type of wood? Cypress? Do they sit on a steel post anchored into concrete alond the pier? Please show a photo of the installed product, and of course the rest of the panel van (Willys, Chevy, Dodge?). Thanks for posting.
the wood is Douglas fir and the do sit on a steel post. a picture has been posted. It is not called a panel /van; just a panel. it is a a 64 GMC 4 x4 panel which I have had for 26 years. it did have a 4 cyl Detroit diesel in it for years . it is going thru a major rebuild as I have gotten a much better body for it a gone back to a small block chev; a 283 actually and a 5 speed. also had a 5 speed o/d behind the Detroit.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/716/dscn1648m.jpg

ron

[daryl moses]

You do great work! Love your pups.

[ron david]

2 1/2" x 12" deep is a pretty good size hole. Did you drill them on the lathe or some other method? I've done some holes that deep for a couple vases but only 1 3/4" D with the Carter Strongbore system. If I was making a bunch of them, always thought it might be quicker or easier to come up with a fixture to hold them vertically on a radial drill press.
it is a process and after you have done 30 of them you know you have done a days work. they are all bored out on the lathe. I know I had pictures of the process, but cannot find them so I will take some more as it is easier than trying to explain it. I don't buy any fancy systems for doing my work. usually I will just make what I have to do the job. I had a discussion on here about this a while back and a few people got annoyed with me
ron

[ron david]

You do great work! Love your pups.
Thank you. there has been a Chesapeake Bay retriever in my shop everyday that I have worked for the last 42 years. they are my eyes and ears around the shop while I am working and good company
this Moge and I brought her up out of Sebastapol
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/921/f1Ijny.jpg

this guy was Inde and he came up out of Wellsville, Mo
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/D96afW.jpg

[ron david]

as to boring the 2 1/2" hole this is what I had to do. it is a 3 stage set-up as drillong end grain can be a wandering process. I built this box just for this but have made adjustments to use it for others. the box does get centred and fastened to the lathe bed. the 3/4" sawtooth is used first as it will go straight for it's legth. I then use a 3/4" ship's auger and first cut the spiral tip off so that it will not pull the auger in. I supply all the power by pushing the square blank onto the auger and it will then go straight until it reaches the desired depth. it is a stop and go process as one has to stop and clear the waste. then I mount my 2 1/2" cutter in the chuck. this is where a little muscle is required. this drill or cutther is made from a length of 3/4" cold roll with an aluminum square shank mwhich i also made to fit to stop it from spinning in the chuck when the pressure is applied. the cutter is made from part of an old planer blade and silver soldered in. The shaft protrudes about 7/8" in front of the cutter so that it can use the auger hole as a guide. from there on it is push stop clear it out and the guide hole gets filled also. i had my feet propped against something so that I could push at times
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/922/dGmClQ.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/C3rnKy.jpg

the chuck is an early axmimster 5" 4jaw. think I got it in 89 when I upgraded my headstock. It was discontineud years ago but all the newer jaws will work in it
ron

[David Delo]

Cool set-up Ron. Thanks for sharing it.

[William C Rogers]

Ron. This has been a very interesting thread. Thanks. Your work is fantastic and love the dog and truck.

[ron david]

on nice days I move it out front
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/922/BpVEaT.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/924/Ea1Meu.jpg
and the 4 foot steady rest that I made
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/qVlmNm.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/EIrhFu.jpg
ron

[ron david]

this was the aftermath ofr turning 30 of these bollards. all those nice fir shavings i keep and they go to mlocal fellow for his horses
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/922/yQS3dA.jpg

I pick all those pieces of wood off the beach one night. Ladty came along one day and I sold them all for $350.00
ron

[Doug Rasmussen]

Nice work... I see in the picture with the lathe outside the piece that's chucked up has a split down the side.

Is the wood dry? If so, how? I was under the impression material that thick couldn't be kiln dried.

[ron david]

Nice work... I see in the picture with the lathe outside the piece that's chucked up has a split down the side.

Is the wood dry? If so, how? I was under the impression material that thick couldn't be kiln dried.
they have been perhaps a monthe from the mill. no kiln. who kows how long the logs sat around. it does not take long for them to start cracking once the are exposed to the air at that dimension
remember that it all starts drying from the outside and the inside is still wet. something has to give
ron

[Adam Petersen]

Really nice work. The finished project in place looks very picturesque. And your pups are awesome! My shiba is too high strung for shop life. I need a bigger dog that wants to lay around and watch me.

[Randy Red Bemont]

Nice looking and some cool pics. Thanks for sharing.

Red

[Glenn C Roberts]

Ron, How do you stop (prevent) the cracking?

[Dave Fritz]

Interesting thread, thanks. We put up a fence in our cemetery and the people we got it from did the same thing for the posts. We borrowed his gas powered post driver to drive the metal posts, then just slid the wood posts over. It greatly reduces wood rot and it's easy to string trim underneath. The owner of the fencing company designed a similar machine to bore out the posts. Love your shop and truck. Of course your dog.

[ron david]

Ron, How do you stop (prevent) the cracking?
you don't worry about what you cannot control. these posts all had heart. they are destined to crack
ron

[Barry Richardson]

Very interesting and enjoyable post Ron, thanks for putting it up!

[ron david]

Ron, How do you stop (prevent) the cracking?
this following link will be a good one to read. it may help with that feeling that everything should be perfect. most will ignore it
it was written by Soetsu Yanagi and called the "Mystery of Beauty"
https://plus.google.com/102714252072036233253/posts/C6PpWpGv3ZX
it applies to a lot of things in life
click on the image to enlargen it
ron

[John K Jordan]

this following link will be a good one to read. it may help with that feeling that everything should be perfect. most will ignore it
it was written by Soetsu Yanagi and called the "Mystery of Beauty"
https://plus.google.com/102714252072036233253/posts/C6PpWpGv3ZX
it applies to a lot of things in life


I liked the line about beauty "free from all pretension."

Last year I spent a week with Clay Foster, exactly what the ADHD type-A like me needed. His attitude about life and art is zen-like, quiet, contemplative, never rushed, what is, is - inspiring. One small example: every day he asked everyone in the class to gather around and he read a passage selected from Rachel Remen's book "My Grandfather's Blessings."

JKJ

[Glenn C Roberts]

Ron, interesting read. However, in my case, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As Reed says "The more it warps, the better I like it". So like the Korean (and Reed), I like to turn green wood occasionally to achieve this "Free from dualistic fetters" creation of the piece of wood - free from cracking if I so desire - simply because I am not selling it! I am the only judge in this case!

[ron david]

I liked the line about beauty "free from all pretension."

Last year I spent a week with Clay Foster, exactly what the ADHD type-A like me needed. His attitude about life and art is zen-like, quiet, contemplative, never rushed, what is, is - inspiring. One small example: every day he asked everyone in the class to gather around and he read a passage selected from Rachel Remen's book "My Grandfather's Blessings."

JKJ
got this from D. Ellsworth 35 years ago
ron

[Jay Mullins]

A great thread Ron, thanks for sharing with us. I also like to make my own tools and jigs whenever possible. I've been asked why a few times since it might be easier to just buy them. I just like to make things, come to think it that's why we turn wood.

Jay

[ron david]

A great thread Ron, thanks for sharing with us. I also like to make my own tools and jigs whenever possible. I've been asked why a few times since it might be easier to just buy them. I just like to make things, come to think it that's why we turn wood.

Jay
30 - 40 years there wasn't much to buy and you couldn't turn on the internet and get an instant answer or find all these fancy new tools that save you from the less tedious aspects of turning. there were not many running invertors even in 89. if I still need things it is usually faster to make something. it is like I have 3 welding setups. I may only use my axy-acetalene once every 10 years but it is there when I need it it
ron